AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Tuesday directed the Telangana Congress leaders to intensify campaign for 12% Muslim reservation across Telangana State.
Speaking after releasing the poster for “One Million Yes for 12% Muslim Reservation” at the residence of GHCC Minorities Department chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail at Bazarghat, Digvijay Singh praised the campaign and said that the same should be extended across Telangana. He said all Congress leaders should actively participate in the campaign and collect signatures from the people to pressurise Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to fulfill his election promise.
Accompanied with TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Working President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir and other senior leaders, Digvijay Singh drove straight to Abdullah Sohail’s residence from Imperial Gardens in Secunderabad where he addressed the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. He enquired about the response to the campaign which was launched on April 4. He was elated to learn that more than 4 lakh signatures have been collected through both online and off-line mode during the last eight days.
Abdullah Sohail informed Digvijay Singh that that campaign has been receiving tremendous response from all sections of the society. He said while one lakh signatures were received on last Friday alone, nearly two lakh signatures were collected during weekend. He said that hundreds of students have volunteered to run the campaign in their colleges. Similarly, the response on WhatsApp and other online modes is highly encouraging. He hoped that the target of 10 lakh signatures would be reached before the set deadline of April 19, the second anniversary of promise made by KCR on providing 12% Muslim quota.
Digvijay Singh himself signed the petition seeking 12% reservation for Muslims in Telangana, as promised by the TRS Government in its election manifesto. He accused the TRS Government of deliberately delaying the issue on some or the other pretext. He said instead of constituting a Backward Classes Commission, the TRS Government established Sudhir Commission which has no legal sanctity or powers to recommend 12% reservation.
Senior Congress leaders including GHCC General Secretary Syed Nizamuddin and Vijaya Kumar Naidu were present on the occasion.(INN)